For the report of your obedience has reached everyone; therefore I am rejoicing over you, but I want you to be wise in what is good, and innocent in what is evil.
Parallel translations
- WEB For your obedience has become known to all. I rejoice therefore over you. But I desire to have you wise in that which is good, but innocent in that which is evil.
- KJV For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.
- BSB Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice over you. But I want you to be wise about what is good and innocent about what is evil.
- NKJV For your obedience has become known to all. Therefore I am glad on your behalf; but I want you to be wise in what is good, and simple concerning evil.
- NLT But everyone knows that you are obedient to the Lord. This makes me very happy. I want you to be wise in doing right and to stay innocent of any wrong.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Paul rejoices that the Romans' obedience is widely known, yet urges them to be wise about good and innocent about evil. It calls believers to discernment that embraces good while staying untainted by sin.
Overview
Paul commends the Roman church's well-known faithfulness, which gives him cause for joy, while gently urging continued growth. Echoing Jesus' words to be 'wise as serpents and innocent as doves' (Matthew 10:16), he wants them shrewd in pursuing what is good but unschooled and pure regarding evil. Such discernment guards the church against the very deceivers he has just described and reflects the renewed mind that the gospel produces.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 19
- Matt 10:16“Behold, I send you out as sheep among wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
- 1 Cor 14:20Brothers, don’t be children in thoughts, yet in malice be babies, but in thoughts be mature.
- Phil 2:15that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without defect in the middle of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you are seen as lights in the world,
- Jas 3:13–18Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by his good conduct that his deeds are done in gentleness of wisdom.
- Rom 1:8First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, that your faith is proclaimed throughout the whole world.
- Eph 5:17Therefore don’t be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
- Phil 1:9This I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all discernment;
- Jer 4:22“For my people are foolish, they don’t know me. They are foolish children, and they have no understanding. They are skillful in doing evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.”
- Col 3:16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your heart to the Lord.
- 2 Tim 3:15–17From infancy, you have known the holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus.
- Ps 101:2I will be careful to live a blameless life. When will you come to me? I will walk within my house with a blameless heart.
- Isa 11:2–3Yahweh’s Spirit will rest on him: the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of Yahweh.
- 1 Th 3:6–10But when Timothy came just now to us from you, and brought us glad news of your faith and love, and that you have good memories of us always, longing to see us, even as we also long to see you;
- Eph 1:15–18For this cause I also, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which is among you, and the love which you have toward all the saints,
- 1 Th 1:2–3We always give thanks to God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers,
- Luke 10:3Go your ways. Behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves.
- 1 Kgs 3:9–12Give your servant therefore an understanding heart to judge your people, that I may discern between good and evil; for who is able to judge this great people of yours?”
- Col 1:3–9We give thanks to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
- 1 Th 1:8–9For from you the word of the Lord has been declared, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone out; so that we need not to say anything.
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Christ at the center
Paul unfolds the gospel in full: Christ our righteousness received by faith, the second Adam in whom many are made righteous, in whose death and resurrection we are buried and raised.
How Romans 16:19 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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